Clothes line support



June 20, 1961 o. READ ETAL 2,989,192

CLOTHES LINE SUPPORT Filed June 5, 1958 ZJ/L, by FIG. 2

1; 23 l 1; 40 I 20 20 i ow BY GILBERT CAMIRAND lhMWJlr M ATTORNEY United States Patentf O 2,989,192 CLOTHES LINE SUPPORT Owen Read, 438. Pawtucket Ave., Pawtucket, R.I., and Gilbert Camirand, 41 Perry St., Central Falls, RJ. Filed June 5, 1958, Ser. No. 740,081 4 Claims. (Cl. 211--119.07)

The present invention relates to clothes line supports and more particularly to the pulley and bracket attached to the house end of a clothes line.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved pulley and bracket support for the house end of a close line.

Clothes line supports consist of an endless wash or clothes line supported on opposite ends by pulleys. One pulley is normally suspended from a pole situated some distance from a house. The other pulley is normally suspended from the outside window frame of a house. The present invention is directed to improving the means and convenience of hanging clothes on the clothes lines from inside the house by pivoting or swinging the pulley from outside the window into the room. More specifically the present invention is directed toward the bracket supporting the pulley. Another object of the present invention is to provide a pulley bracket which has inherent features of safety to avoid accidents to the user [of the clothes line.

'Other objects of the present invention will be pointed out and become apparent in the following specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the res:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the new and improved clothes line support in extended position.

FIGURE 2 is a right hand side elevational view of the 'pulleyand bracket end of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a left hand side elevational view of the pulley and bracket end of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the new and improved clothes line support in storage or unused position.

FIGURE 5 is a front elevational view of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a schematic perspective view of the pivoting bracket and hinge construction.

FIGURE 7 is 'a vertical cross sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIGURE 1.

Referring to all of the figures of the drawing wherein reference character 10 generally indicates the new and improved clothes line support consisting of a channel shaped cross arm "11 adapted to be fixed to the outside frame of a window at a convenient height for a woman about to hang her weekly wash on a wash or clothes line.

A U-shaped hinge or bearing member 12 provided with a bearing pin 13 or vertical pivot is horizontally secured to cross arm 11 as by means of welding. A pivoting U-shaped bracket 18 is provided having upper and lower arms 14, 15, respectively, which are pivotally mounted on bearing pin 13. Upper and lower flanges 16, 17 are integrally formed in the body of bracket 18.

A pulley-carrying arm generally indicated by reference character 20 consists of a length of sheet material bent upon itself to form a left side 21 and a right side 22. A clothes line pulley 23 is pivotally mounted between left side 21 and right side 22 by means of a shaft 29 supported in said sides. A clothes line guide 24 is integrally formed in sides 21, 22 to provide an opening 25 through which clothes line 27 may pass and be guided (see FIGURE 7). A flange 28 having an upper extension 30 and a lower extension 31 is integrally connected to left side 21 and right side 22. Upper extension 30 is supported between upper flange 16 and upper arm Patented June 20, 1961 2 14. Lower extension 31 is supported between lower flange 17 and lower arm 15. (See FIGURES 2 and 5.)

Upper and lower extensions 30, 31 are mounted on stud 33 which is secured in upper and lower arms 14, 15 and upper and lower flanges 16, 17, so that pulley-carrying arm 20 is connected to bracket 18 through upper and lower arms 14, 15 and to upper and lowerfianges 16, 17 at an obtuse angle to form an L-shaped member which is pivoted on bearing pin 13.

Referring specifically to FIGURE 1 it will be noted that pulley-carrying arm 20 swings slightly beyond a position of ninety degrees to cross arm 11 for reasons which will presently appear.

Cross arm 11 is provided with a plurality of orifices 34. A shaft 35 (FIGURES 2 and 3) provided with an enlarged head 36 may be located in any of the orifices 34. An upper and a lower flanged spool 37, 38 are rotatably mounted on shaft 35 and held in position through the medium of cotter pin 40 and washer 39.

A pole 41 may be located some distance from the window frame of the house and cross arm 11. A pulley 42 is attached to pole 41 by means of a book 43. A clothes line 27 may be endlessly stretched between pulleys 42 and 43. In FIGURE .1, pulley 42 through pulley-carrying arm 20 is located not in perpendicular alignment as along line 45 but at an angle A. Flanged spools 37, 38 will be mounted on shaft 35 located in an orifice 34 which is in a straight line between pulley 23 and pulley 42. Line 27 therefore has a very strong tendency to pull pulley 23 and pulley-carrying arm 20 to the right side of FIGURE 1 and thus prevents pulley-carrying arm 20 from swinging to the position shown in FIGURE 4, whereby the person hanging wash on line 27 could be injured.

Conversely, referring to FIGURE 4, pulley 23 is located beyond horizontal line 48 at angle B so that the pull-of line 27 will hold pulley-carrying arm 20 in the position shown in FIGURE 4. i

When the operator desires to hang articles on or remove articles from line 27 it is only necessary to open a window and swing pulley-carrying arm 20 from the position shownv in FIGURE 4 to the position shown in FIGURE 1. The major portion of arm 20 will extend inwardly through the window opening into the room. When the operator has finished arm 20 is again swung outwardly through the opening and is locked in the position shown in FIGURE 4 because arm 20 has swung beyond the-center or beyond the right angle position of arm 20 with crossarm 11. It will be observed that in the swinging movement the members 14, 15 serve as fulcrums for pulley-carrying arm 20, by pivoting on bearing pin 13. When pulley-carrying pin 20 is swung into the room it is swung through an angle slightly greater than degrees, from the position shown in FIGURE 4 to the position shown in FIGURE 1. Arm 20 is held in the positions shown in FIGURES l and 4, by means of the clothesline passing around shaft 35 or spools 37, 38 rotatively mounted on shaft 35.

It is important that pulley-carrying arm 20 be locked in both open or closed position because a load of clothing or wash attached to line 27 in a high wind could cause pulley-carrying arm 20 to accidentally or inadvertently swing and thereby injure the operator or damage the closed window.

While the construction illustrated prevents the free swinging of pulley-carrying arm 20, further insurance to grotltzct the operator is provided in the form of a spring A bracket 50 provided with upper flange 51 and lower flange 52 is secured to cross arm 11 as by rivets or by welding. A hook 53 is pivotally mounted between flanges 51, 52 by means of bearing pin 54. A spring 55 interposed between cross arm 11 and hook 53 urges hook 53 in a preselected direction. Hook 53 engages the body of bracket 18 when pulley-carrying arm 20 is in the position shown in FIGURE 1. Hook 53 may be released from engagement with bracket 18 by pivoting hook 53 around bearing pin 54 against the tension of spring 55.

Having shown and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, by way of example, it should be realized that structural changes could be made and other examples given without departing from either the spirit or scope of this invention.

What we claim is:

1. A clothes line support consisting of a cross arm, said cross arm having a plurality of orifices, a shaft, said shaft selectively positioned in one of said plurality of orifices, a U-shaped bracket provided with a bearing pin secured to said cross arm with said bearing pin in vertical position, a second U-shaped bracket having upper and lower arms pivotally connected to said bearing pin, a pulley carrying arm having a pulley pivotally mounted on one end and with the other end connected at an obtuse angle to said second U-shaped bracket, whereby said pulley-carrying arm may be swung through an are greater than ninety degrees and beyond the centerline of the sides scribing a ninety degree arc.

2. A clothes line support consisting of a cross arm having means to be attached to the frame of a window,

said cross arm having a plurality of orifices, a shaft,

upper and lower flange spools rotatably mounted on said shaft, said shaft selectively positioned in one of said plurality of orifices, a U-shaped bracket provided with a bearing pin secured to said cross arm with said bearing pin in a vertical position, a second U-shaped bracket provided with upper and lower arms and upper and lower flanges, said second U-shaped bracket pivotally mounted to said bearing pin through said upper and lower arms, a pulley carrying arm provided having a left side and a right side, a pulley pivotally mounted between said left side and said right side on one end of said pulley-carrying arm, said left side and right side terminating in the other end in a flange having an upper extension and a lower extension which are connected at an obtuse angle to said upper and lower flanges respectively, whereby said pulleycarrying arm may be swung through an are greater than ninety degrees and beyond the centerline of a ninety degree centerline through said second U-shaped bracke pivoting on said bearing pin. a

3. A clothes line support consisting of a cross arm, said cross arm having a plurality of orifices, a shaft, said shaft selectively positioned in one of said plurality of orifices, a U-shaped bracket provided with a bearing pin secured to said cross arm with said bearing pin in vertical position, a second U-shaped bracket having upper and 4 lower arms pivotally connected to said bearing pin, a pulley-carrying arm having a pulley pivotally mounted on one end and with the other end connected at an obtuse angle to said second U-shaped bracket, whereby said pulley-carrying arm may be swung through an are greater than ninety degrees and beyond the centerline of the sides scribing a ninety degree arc, a second pulley located at a distance from said first mentioned pulley, an endless clothes line supported on opposite ends by said pulleys, and slidably engaging said shaft to be guided by said shaft, said clothes line through engagement with said shaft retaining said pulley-carrying arm in either one of two selected positions, a bracket provided with an upper and a lower flange secured to said cross arm adjacent said second U-shaped bracket when said bracket is in position abutting said cross arm, a hook pivotally mounted between said upper and lower flanges and a spring interposed between said hook and said cross arm to urge said hook into engagement with said second U-shaped bracket when said bracket abuts said cross arm to lock said bracket in position against said cross arm.

4. A clothes line support consisting of a cross arm, said cross arm having a plurality of orifices, a shaft, said shaft selectively positioned in one of said plurality of orifices, a U-shaped bracket provided with a bearing pin secured to said cross arm with said bearing pin in vertical position, a second U-shaped bracket having upper and lower arms pivotally connected to said bearing pin, a pulley-carrying arm having a pulley pivotally mounted on one end and with the other end connected at an obtuse angle to said second U-shaped bracket, whereby said pulley-carrying arm may be swung through an are greater than ninety degrees and beyond the centerline of the sides scribing a ninety degree arc, a second pulley located at a distance from said first mentioned pulley, an endless clothes line supported on opposite ends by said pulleys, said clothes line engaging said shaft to be adjustably guided by said shaft at a position between said first mentioned pulley and said second pulley, said clothes line retaining said pulley-carrying arm in either one of two selected positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 454,377 Pagliughi June 16, 1891 1,167,664 Smith Jan. 11, 1916 1,457,720 Wasiliefi June 5, 1923 1,490,485 Roziger Apr. 15, 1924 1,763,913 Vauthier June 17, 1930 1,818,561 Leggett Aug. 11, 1931 2,475,325 Jensen July 5, 1949 

